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Phased retirement: 49 and 1/2 shades of gray

Getting something made into law isn't easy. But it isn't rocket science either!

First get elected to Congress or the White House. Or hire yourself
some lawyers and lobbyists. Or work for a politician. Then decide what you want
to do, who benefits and away you go. Making something legal, or illegal, doesn't
always work.

The government in effect outlawed poverty more than 50 years ago, yet
it's still with us. Some would say it is worse than ever.

Turns out, something like poverty is tougher to eliminate than
the politicians thought. Even something as non-earthshaking as phased retirement
in government. Easier said than implemented.

When it comes to solving problems, politicians have the easy
part. They advocate a position, pass a law, then walk away to "handle" the next
problem. Either by making something else into law or outlawing something already
in place. Generally speaking, it is up to other people — often the faceless
"bureaucrats" of government — to make it work.

If it succeeds, politicians take the credit. If it fails, they
demand that heads (not theirs!) roll. Take the phased retirement program, which
has been awaiting take-off for nearly three years.

The idea is simple: Uncle Sam's workforce isn't getting any
younger. Tens of thousands are eligible to retire. Lots of people worry about a
brain drain. What happens when all that institutional memory checks out?

Solution: Phased retirement. Let people dip their toe into
retirement working several days a week while they mentor those who will be left
behind. What could be simpler? Once, that is, you answer a few questions
Congress forgot to ask:

Who qualifies for phased-retirement? Can long-time workers
phase themselves out?

What does one do during phased retirement? What's the mix
between time spent mentoring and cleaning out one's cubicle?

How long is the phasing-out period? Three months? Six months?
Who decides?

What about people who have recently retired who, once the
program is implemented, want to phase back in so they can then start to phase out?

How many days per week will the phased-out employee be
allowed/required to work? For how long?

Workers in phased-retirement status will be allowed to
accrue benefits. How will that work? What about TSP contributions and agency
matching contributions?

What's a "composite annuity"?

What happens to survivors if the part-time retiree dies while under phased
retirement?

Phased retirement was approved nearly two years ago. Last year OPM
issued interim regulations but lots of questions
remain unanswered.

Earlier this week on our Your Turn radio program, Andy Medici of the Federal
Times said he ran into OPM Director Katherine Archeletta and asked her
the timetable for the final regulations on phased retirement. She told him "soon"
but he couldn't pin her down to an exact date. Medici said he assumes soon means
sometime this summer.

The elusive $2 bill was first printed in 1862 (it originally featured Alexander
Hamilton, whose visage was replaced after a few years by Thomas Jefferson's).
Production was officially discontinued in 1966, although they're still printed
when demand rises. In fact, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing released 45
million more $2 bills into circulation.

Survey: How much do feds trust the
government?
Federal News Radio wants to know how much trust federal employees have in the
government, and whether that trust has been growing or diminishing in recent
years. Take our survey today and tell us your thoughts. Your anonymous responses
will be used as part of a special report debuting May 20 on FederalNewsRadio.com
and on the radio (1500AM in the Washington, D.C. region).

Commerce Secretary
Pritzker layers people, customer service throughout strategic goals
After nearly a year on the job, Department of Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker is
overseeing progress on five strategic pillars, including innovation, trade and
management. She said she's trying to make sure employees feel connected to the
vision and mission of the agency. Pritzker said connecting with federal employees
is the best way to create an understanding of a department's goals.

Shinseki: Report on VA due within 3 weeks
Facing calls to resign, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said Thursday
that he hopes to have a preliminary report within three weeks on how widespread
treatment delays and falsified patient scheduling reports are at VA facilities
nationwide, following allegations that up to 40 veterans may have died while
awaiting treatment at the Phoenix VA center.